CHINESE HERB: GOU QI ZI

Goji berry

Name

Pinyin name: Gou Qi Zi

Latin name: Fructus Lycii

English name: Chinese Wolfberry Fruit, Matrimony Vine Fruit, Goji Berry Fruit, Lycium Fruit

Origin

Wolfberry is the ripe fruit of Lycium barbarum L. - a deciduous shrub of the Solanaceae family.

Location and Harvest

It is mainly produced in Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu and Shanxi regions of China.

It is harvested in summer and autumn when the fruit turns red.

Properties

Taste: Sweet

Nature: Neutral

Entering Meridians: Liver, Lung and Kidney

Best qualities

Fleshy, soft and moist flesh; tough and slightly wrinkled peel; red or dark red color and few seeds

Processing

Dry in the shade and then expose to the sunlight

Major Chemical Constituents

Betane, atropine, carotene, vitamin C, amino acids: aspartic acid, alanine, proline, glycine…and trace elements: potassium, calcium, sodium…

Actions

- Nourish and tonify Liver and Kidney Blood and Yin

- Benefit Jing and brighten the eyes

- Nourish Yin and moisten the Lungs

Indications

- Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency with symptoms of dizziness, blurred vision and diminished visual acuity

- Chronic cough

- Back and legs soreness, low- grade abdominal pain, impotence, nocturnal emissions due to Blood and Yin Deficiency

Dosage

10- 15 grams each time for decoction

Popular Recipes

- Wolfberry tea: It can be taken all year around, particularly in summer.

- Wolfberry porridge: It can be taken in winter.

- Wolfberry corn soup

Contraindications and Cautions

- Contraindicated in cases of loose stool or diarrhea due to Spleen Deficiency

- Contraindicated for those with external Excess Heat

·        Use with care during pregnancy